Crib motivator



June 1962 w. G. BROERS 3,040,342

CRIB MOTIVATOR Filed June 29, 1959 u al a-E INVENTOR. M/ey 6. 5/0 ersATTORNE .5.

llnited States Eatent 3,040,342 CREE MOTIVATOR Wiley G. Broers, Rte. 2,Welisville, Kans. Filed June 29, 1959, Ser. No. 823,408 1 Claim. (Cl.5-109) This invention relates to a motivator for baby beds and morespecifically, to a device adapted to be releasably attached to the frameof a baby bed springs and coupled With such springs in a manner toimpart a gentle vibrating motion to the springs and, therefore, to themattress carried thereby, all for the purpose of rocking the baby tosleep.

It is the most important object of the present invention to provide aunitary attachment that includes as a part thereof, an eccentric,together with a coil spring which joins the eccentric to the bed springswhereby the motivation is gentle, yet suflicient for the purposesdesired.

Still another important object of the present invention is to providequickly detachable means for connecting the unit to one rail of thesprings, rendering the entire unit universally adapted for use withvarying types of beds or the releasable means of attachment to the frameof the springs.

Baby bed chosen for illustrating the principles of the instantinvention, is quite conventional in that it includes a frame havingsides and ends interconnecting four legs. Sides 11 and 17 and two legs13 are shown in FIG.

1, it being understood that side 17 is normally adapted to be raised andlowered. Yieldable wire grid means 18 are usually carried by the fourlegs and include side rails 12 and 15 that are transversely L-shaped. Asshown in FIGS. 1 and 2, rail 12 has a top plate 14 provided with adepending flange 16.

The improvements forming the subject matter of the instant inventionembody a unitary attachment broadly designated by the numeral-20,includingan electric motor 22 having a drive shaft 24, a driven shaft 26provided with an eccentric 28, and gear reduction means 30 operablyinterconnecting shafts 24 and 26. The motor 22 and the gear reductionmeans 30 are housed within a case 32, and an opening 34 within one wallof the case 32, clears the shaft 26,

The attachment 20 is carried by the rail 12 therebeneath and, to thisend, a block 40 may be provided in the case 32.

Clearance slots 44 and 46 forthe flange 16 are provided in the case 32and the block 40 respectively, and a strap 48 overlies the plate 14.Strap 48 is connected to the block 40 \by bolt and nut means 50 and 52,the latter of which serves as a pivot pin, allowing swinging of thestrap 48'to a position permitting removal of the attachment 20 from therail 12. the bolt and nut means 50 when the latter is loosened so thatstrap 48 can be swung as aforementioned.

The eccentric 28 includes a disc 56 keyed or otherwise attachedeccentrically to the shaft 26 and a band 58 surrounding the disc 56, itbeing understood that band 58 is adapted to work freely around the disc56.

A coil spring 60 provided with end loops 62 and 64,

A slot 54 in the strap 48 clears 6 "ice 2 releasably interconnect thewire grid 18 and the band 58, it being noted that spring 60 depends fromthe springs 18 and that the lowermost loop 64 is hooked through an eye66 on the outer face of band 58.

It is apparent that during continuous operation of electric motor 22 todrive its shaft 24, rotative motion is imparted to the driven shaft 26through the gear reduction means 30. Shaft 26 in turn imparts rotativemovement to the disc 56 which works the band 5-8, thereby transmittingreciprocable motion in a vertical direction to the spring 60. The up anddown movement of the spring 60 is in turn transmitted to the grid 18,thereby gently motivating the latter, as well as the mattress (notshown) carried by the grid 18. It follows that a gentle vibratory motionis felt by the child on the mattress, tending to lull him to sleep orotherwise pacify the child in a manner not unlike rocking or merelyshaking the bed 10 for such purposes.

Note in FIG. 1 that the case 32 is interposed between rail 12 and thelower beam 68 of side 17, permitting the aforementioned raising andlowering of side 17.

It is now seen that I have provided a small, compact device for gentlybouncing baby beds which can be easily and quickly attached to allstandard baby crib springs. It consists essentially of the electricmotor 22 and the reduction gears 30 fitted into case 32, having the slot44 in the top thereof into which the angle iron 12 of grid 18 fits.Clamp 48 over the top 14 of the angle iron 12 holds the device secure.

Either a single electric switch or a variable speed switch '70 may beprovided. An electric cord to fit any volt outlet will also be obviouslyprovided.

Aside from the above, the unit includes eccentric 28- having eye 66receiving coil spring 60, the latter of which is hooked to bed springs18 at any convenient point.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desire-dto be secured by Letters Patent is:

In combination, a baby bed; mattress-supporting, yieldable wire gridmeans carried by said bed and provided with a frame having a pair ofspaced side rails thereon; a housing; means for mounting said housing onsaid frame below said grid means, said mounting means including aslotted block carried by the housing and disposed for receiving one, ofsaid side rails in the slot thereof, and a strap swingably carried onsaid block and disposedto overlie said one side rail when the latter isdisposed withcured to the grid means thereabove, whereby said grid meansreciprocates vertically as said eccentric is rotated under the influenceof said driven shaft and said drive shaft when said motor is energized.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,476,146 Oappabianca Dec. 4, 1923 2,599,723 Row June 10, 1952 2,677,135Gourley May 4, 1954 2,689,355 De Frank Sept. 21, 1954 2,765,478 PintoOct. 9, 1956 2,845,635 Eyer Aug. 5, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 304,754

Italy Jan. '17, 1933

